Kennebec River bill
wins Senate approval
By STEVE CARTWRIGHT
Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel Wednesday, June 13, 2007

AUGUSTA -- A bill to protect the shoreline of the Kennebec River between Augusta and Waterville was passed by the Senate on Tuesday and now heads to the governor's desk for his signature.

The bill is aimed at keeping quarrying and gravel pit excavations away from the riverbank.

It creates a 100-foot-wide buffer between the high water mark and any quarrying operations, according to its sponsor, Senate Majority Leader Elizabeth Mitchell, D-Vassalboro. She called it an "environmentally balanced" policy.

"From the Kennebec Arsenal in Augusta to the Hathaway Mill in Waterville, the people of Kennebec County are reinvesting their time and effort into their local waterfronts and the Kennebec River," Mitchell said. "This is a victory for all of us."

Bill MacDonald, executive director of Hallowell-based Maine Rivers, an environmental advocacy group, said Mitchell's bill is good news.

He said protecting the riparian area is important, especially as traditional fish runs return to the Kennebec. "The river is coming back," he said.

"Our state and locally elected leaders clearly see the tremendous economic value of a restored and protected river," he said.

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MikeH of Litchfield, ME
Jun 13, 2007 7:03 AM
Oh boy, those liberals in Augusta are taking away jobs again!report abuse
SMC of Richmond, ME
Jun 13, 2007 7:15 AM
Earth is what sustains us as people - This is NOT about taking jobs away, it's about leaving something for our kids - if that's liberal in your eyes SO BE IT! report abuse
MikeH of Litchfield, ME
Jun 13, 2007 8:15 AM
Can I get a job with the earth? Does the earth offer a good benefits package like health insurance and a company vehicle?report abuse
conservative of Augusta, ME
Jun 13, 2007 8:22 AM
Your employer is responsible for giving you health benefits and a company vehicle? Let's make it homeowners insurance, long-term care insurance, life insurance, auto insurance, property tax reimbursement while your at it. Employers are leaving the State because they can't afford the "demands" from the employees. If everyone was responsible for their own insurance, competition would increase and rates would decrease.

Some people (MikeH) just don't get it.report abuse

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